Improvement in locks for barn-doors



Patented Nov. 13,1877.

-I. FREES.

Look for Barn Doors.

l'nveniorv UNITED" "PATENT ()Frron IRA runes, 0F viENIoE, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOCKS FOR BARN-DOORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 197,115, dated November13,1877; application filed September 29, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA Flaws, of Venice, in the county of Erie andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBarn-Door Locks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilledin the artt-o which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had. to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide for the door of a barn orsimilar building an effective arrangement of devices for latching andlocking said door, both at top and bottom, and which is operated andcontrolled by knob. and key at the ordinary convenient height from thesill.

In order that others may be able to make and use my combined latch andlook, I will describe the construction and explain the operation of thesame with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1represents a vertical section of a door-frame of a door provided with myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a view of the inner side of the door. Fig. 3 isa horizontal section of the door locked and the keys removed. Fig. 4 isa vertical sectional view of the same; Fig. 5, the screw key-knob; Fig.6, the keyholes and Fig. 7, the key-knob pu Near the top and bottom ofthe door A are arranged housings B, within which are fulcrumed thelatch-levers G, the oblique-faced catches c of which extend inwardlybeyond said housings, and are forced upon staples D to the action ofsprings E, upon the inner arms of the levers C. The motion of the leverstoward the staples is limited by cross-bars m, which retain said leversin such position that their inclined or oblique faces will strike thetops of the staples and slip over the same when the door is closing.

Gravity would, of course, cause the lower catch to fall, but the spring,or a weighted inner end is necessary to cause the upper catch to engagewith its staple; and I prefer to use the springs, as shown, in order toinsure prompt action of the catches.

From the inner end of the lower catch-lever a cord, F, extends upward,and from the inner end of the upper catch-lever a cord, F, extendsdownward, and both of these cords are attached to the end of a slidingarm or pull, G, which extends outward into an aperture, a, in the door,and terminates in a screw-threaded shank, g.

The inward movement of this sliding arm or pull is limited by thestriking of its shoulder 9' against a plate, h, secured to inner side ofthe door, and through an aperture in which the sliding arm or pullplays. In order to operate the latches for unlatching the door, a knobor handle, I, having a threaded socket, i, is screwed upon the shank gof the sliding arm or pull, and when this knob is pulled the saidsliding arm, of course, moves outward, drawing the latch-cords F Faround grooved pulleys ff, which change the direction of the motion ofsaid cords, thus disengaging the latches from the staples, and acontinuation of the pull upon the knob opens the door.

Upon the inner side of the door is secured an ordinary door-lock, K, insuch position that when the bolt 70 of said lock is shot it passesthrough an aperture, Z, in the sliding arm G, when said arm occupies itsinmost position, (as when the door is latched,) and retains the said armin this position, thus preventing the unlatching of the door by pullingknob I. This amounts to an eii'ectual locking of the door, the securityagainst unauthorized opening of which is doubled by removing the knob Ifrom the shank of the sliding arm G, for then, though the lock should bepicked, there will be no means of retracting the latches.

The lock K is operated by an ordinary key, I, through a key-hole, a inthe door, as shown in Fig. 6.

As a further guard, when the knob I is removed the aperture (1 in thedoor may be sealed by any of the known devices for the purpose.

I claim-- 1. The combination of the latch-levers C, cords F F, andsliding arm G.

2. The combination of lock K and sliding arm G, connected with the topand bottom latches of a door, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have afifixed my signature inthe presence of two witnesses.

IRA FREES.

Witnesses HENRY BAssINGER, PALMER TANNER.

